Nuclear weapons use neutron chain reactions to quickly induce fission in special fissionable material and generate large amounts of energy [1]}. The primary element of all nuclear weapons – even advanced thermonuclear “hydrogen bombs" – is the fission core, as it is the only material capable of self-inducing and sustaining a chain reaction. Tritium and other neutron-rich elements, however, can be added to nuclear weapons to substantially boost their performance. In such “boosted" devices, the fission component acts as an initiator to achieve and inertially confine a burning plasma wherein deuterium and tritium fuse. This fusion creates more energy and 14.1-MeV neutrons that are themselves damaging or that can induce further fissions in uranium-238, for example. Thermonuclear weapons rely on this fission-fusion-fission cycle [1]}, [3]}, [4]}.
